1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to edge treatment for fibreboard panels and the like and more particularly relates to the production of fibreboard panels having contoured profiled edges for use as drawer fronts, table tops, furniture tops, cabinet doors, shelves, baseboards, panel edging, door and window trims and a wide variety of other uses. The present invention is closely related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,106, entitled Post Press Molding of Man Made Boards to Produce Contoured Furniture Parts, and this copending application is owned by the Assignee of the present invention and application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art systems using medium and high density fibreboard and particle board for furniture applications such as drawer fronts, etc. and for other applications wherein a profiled edge surface is desired, have mechanically preshaped a profiled edge surface with a router or shaping machine. This type of edge treatment almost universally necessitates a hand operation of filling and then sanding the mechanically shaped profiled edge before further finishing operations can be conducted because of the voids in the material, particularly particle board. In many instances, the amount of hand labor required offsets the other advantages afforded by the use of hardboard or fiberboard rather than natural wood. In addition, the man-made boards often produce a finished product which is not aesthetically appealing and which is definitely discernable to the observer as being a substitute or imitation rather than real wood. Because of the extensive amount of hand filling labor and additional edge surface treatment that was required, prior art systems were limited in application to usages wherein the appearance factor was not paramount.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved edge treatment for fiberboard panels and the like and more particularly it is an object to provide a new and improved edge treatment which greatly reduces the amount of labor required for finishing operations on a contoured profiled edge of a panel or the like formed of man-made fiberboard.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved edge treatment of the character described which eliminates the need for hand filling and sanding of the profiled edge after the initial pre-shaping operation has been completed.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment of the character described which produces a sealed skin over the surface which prevents a process known as "wicking" or "strike in" from occurring when subsequently sealers or other decorative pigments or inks are applied in a finishing operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment for the contoured profiled edges of fiberboard panels and the like, which treatment greatly increases the "paint hold out" characteristics of the edge surfaces.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment which reduces or eliminates the problem of "fiber raising" when colorants or other liquid sealing agents are applied in finishing operations.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment which permits the use of non-recurring wood grain designs that very closely resemble real wood after finishing is complete.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment wherein design details such as "wood graining" is readily obtainable whereas heretofore rotary or fixed edge cutters as used were incapable of producing such detail, except in a repeating or recurring pattern which was readily discernable to a casual observer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment wherein non-recurring or non-repetitive patterns can be utilized and wherein a wide variety of die shapes may be utilized for almost an infinite variety of patterns and shapes along a profiled edge surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved treatment for fiberboard panels and the like which reduces finishing time on the panel edges and which reduces the number of ground coats of other coloring or decorative pattern applications required.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved panel edge treatment for fiberboard panels and the like which results in a finished product that closely resembles actual wood.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment of the character described which produces a heat seared skin over the edge surface profile.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment for fiberboard panels and the like which results in a finished product with a highly improved, more realistic appearance and more particularly a profiled edge surface having an almost infinite variety of decorative possibilities.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved edge treatment for cellulosic fiberboard panels and the like wherein a profiled edge may be decorated by printing, painting, staining and the like without requiring additional base coats to be applied after the treatment in accordance with the invention.